Posts Tagged ‘2010 geneva motor show’

Despite reports of problems with the Chevrolet Volt, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz insists the high-profile program is "on track" for a late '10 launch.

The Chevrolet Volt remains on schedule for a late 2010 U.S. launch, insisted General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, during an appearance at the Geneva Motor Show.

The septuagenarian executive, who is generally credited with coming up with the Volt concept, denied recent reports that the extended-range electric vehicle is falling behind the introduction date GM had set for it more than a year ago.

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“The Volt is absolutely on track for a North American launch later this year,” said Lutz, who was the key speaker at Chevy’s news conference during the press days at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show.

Okay, we get the stylish models, but we’re never quite sure what to make of it when automakers bring celebrities on stage at their auto show previews. We didn’t even recognize Lenka, the Euro-pop singer who tried to prop up the otherwise lackluster Chevrolet news conference, at the Geneva Motor Show, though at least we know who Justin Timberlake is. But the connection to the new Audi A1 is tenuous, at best.

In fact, the new entry from Ingollstadt did a fine job standing up on its own, so to speak, as it made its formal auto show debut at the PALExpo convention center. All signs suggest it will prove a popular offering…in Europe, where it will go on sale in the weeks ahead, propping up the bottom end of Audi’s line-up.

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Despite its small footprint, the 2011 Audi A1 offers a reasonably roomy interior package. And a well-equipped one, in line with the maker’s effort to decouple the concept of linking size and luxury. One version offers colored air vents and LED interior lights.

The 2011 Kia Sportage is one of several new models the Korean maker is introducing at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show.

Kia celebrated its attendance at the Geneva Motor Show with the world premiere of its compact crossover, the 2011 Sportage.

With an all-new look that moves away from classic SUV design, and a new “ecoDynamics” powertrain, the Korean maker is betting Sportage should keep the momentum going in Europe, as well as its biggest global market, the U.S.

The new body looks more svelte, perhaps because it has been lowered by nearly an inch and put on a diet shaving almost 200 pounds of weight; but it’s actually about an inch longer, which translates into a more roomy interior. Meanwhile, the CUVs aerodynamics have improved which, along with the lower weight, is expected to yield a noticeable bump in fuel economy.

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For the Europe market, Kia will come in with a pair of gasoline engines and another two diesels, Sportage coming to showrooms in either front- or all-wheel-drive configuration. Reflecting the Continent’s increasing focus on global warming, Kia has added a new Start/Stop feature that automatically shuts the engine off while idling. That means the crossover can cut CO2 emissions as low as 138 grams per kilometer, depending on powertrain.

The plug-in powertrain in the Porsche 918 Spyder Concept could see production, possibly in a Boxster, within a couple years.

Look for Porsche to put its first plug-in hybrid into production something during the 2013 model-year, the sports car maker’s CEO told TheDetroitBureau.com during a conversation at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show.

The lithium-ion based system is making its debut on the Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid concept, one of three different hybrid offerings gracing the German maker’s stand at this year’s Geneva show. What’s particularly significant is Porsche’s use of three different hybrid technologies, one for each of the models debuting at PALExpo.

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That includes a “full” hybrid system that will debut in the second-generation Porsche Cayenne SUV, which launches next autumn. The Cayenne will be able to drive for brief distances – at speeds of up to 98 mph – solely on battery power, but like other current hybrid systems, it is intended to run primarily on a mix of battery and gasoline power.

The shape of things to come for Mercedes, the F800 Style gives a hint of the maker's new design theme...and its green powertrain technology.

To get a sense of where Mercedes-Benz will be heading, in the years ahead, take a close look at the F800, which the automaker introduced at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.

The coupe-like concept vehicle gives a good hint of what’s being developed by designers and engineers down in Stuttgart, both in terms of styling and powertrain technology. And the environmentally-friendly drivetrain, hinted the maker’s CEO, could show up “in the next-generation S-Class.”

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“This gives a good indication of (Mercedes’) overall strategy, going forward,” said Dieter Zetsche, during a media roundtable following the automaker’s news conference, at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The mustachioed executive noted that until now, Mercedes, “did not have comprehensive styling strategy for all of its steadily-increasing line-up. The F800 Style will help correct that, though Zetsche quickly cautioned that, “This doesn’t mean there will be a fewer design that will be the same for all.”

The Porsche 918 Spyder Concept combines race car performance with the fuel efficiency of a minicar.

Who says you can’t be green…and mean? Not Porsche, which is debuting an assortment of high-performance hybrids at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. That includes the new 918 Spyder concept, which combines race car-like acceleration, a top-speed of 198 mph, and the fuel efficiency of a micro-car.

Taking its bows alongside the GT3 R Hybrid race car and the 2011 Porsche Cayenne Hybrid, the Porsche 918 Spyder concept is a mid-engine sports car using plug-in hybrid technology. The high-revving V8 side of the package develops a full 500 horsepower at 9,200 RPM. But that’s paired with a pair of electric motors on the front and rear axle that can themselves turn out another 218 hp.

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The gasoline engine and rear motor drive the back axle through Porsche’s 7-speed PDK, an electrically-shifted manual gearbox. The front motor drives the forward axle through a single-speed transmission.

Blind Turkish artist Esref Armagan's impression of the 2011 Volvo S60 set a record when it was auctioned on eBay.

The painting of the new 2011 Volvo S60 might not have been the most precise in its details, but it’s easy to appreciate the feeling Turkish artist Esref Armagan’s put into the work, especially when one considers that he’s blind.

Created as a collaboration to aid the charity, the World Blind Union, Armagan and Volvo auctioned the painting off on eBay, as TheDetroitBureau.com first reported, earlier this month. In all, 52 bids were placed and the winner will get Armagan’s work for $3050, the highest figure ever paid for an art piece sold on the auction site to benefit charity.

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“I’m really impressed with the artist, and with the video, which we couldn’t stop watching. I figured it would be good for a dealer to have it, and as long as it was a dealer, I thought it might as well be me,” says Rachel Léonard, General Director of Volvo de Quebéc.

The Rinspeed UC? isn't just a commuter car, it's said, but an entire "mobility concept."

We’re always intrigued when e-mail comes in from the quirky Swiss design house, Rinspeed. Over the years, they’ve come up with flying cars, floating cars, and even a vehicle that can reconfigure its interior layout depending on how many passengers it’s carrying.

But the latest design exercise, due to make a more formal appearance at the Geneva Motor Show, early in 2010, is decidedly more than just another concept vehicle. It is, in the company’s words, “an entire mobility concept.”

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The goal is to create “a new and highly emotional web-based car world that interweaves individual and public transport in an intelligent way. We want to create a community of people who are open for a new definition of mobility,” says Rinspeed boss Frank M. Rinderknecht. If you want to cut through the hyperbole, read on.